5 Surprising Things You'll Find in The Foodist's Pantry

I imagine you get a lot of free products on the job. What do you actually pay for?

A: You know how some people can’t use the bathroom at a party without checking out the host’s medicine cabinet? I confess: I can’t leave without opening the fridge and pantry, looking for weird pork products, foreign condiments, and esoteric spices. So, just to be fair, I’ll give everyone a peek at a few unusual suspects that always have a place on my shelves–and my credit-card statement.

1. Japanese Tea
It’s been almost a year since I gave up coffee, and I’m still alive! I’ve had help, though: from tea. Especially the tea from Ippodo, a Kyoto-based company that’s been around since 1717. I love their matcha (powdered green tea) and other green teas. In warmer months, I ice their barley tea and drink it nonstop. Prices vary; tortoisegeneralstore.com

2. Pumpkin Seed Oil
What do Arnold Schwarzenegger and pumpkin seed oil have in common? Both hail from Graz, Austria, where people drizzle the deeply nutty oil on just about everything–salad, spaetzle, even dessert. I can’t go a week without a Bibb lettuce salad with toasted pumpkin seeds and a bit of the oil. My daughter likes it on ice cream. Note: It’s highly perishable and extremely powerful–a little goes a long way. $17 for 8.5 oz.; latourangelle.com

3. Brown Cheese
After marrying a Norwegian, I’ve had to buy into a few questionable maxims: Cross-country skiing is a better spectator sport than American football, a-ha had hits other than “Take on Me,” and a block of brunost (brown cheese) is a kitchen essential. When it comes to brunost at least, I’m a believer. Somewhere between cheese and fudge in taste, it has a satisfyingly sweet and salty flavor. Breakfast at home usually involves a few slices on top of toast (you’ll need a cheese plane, something Norwegian babies are born holding). It’s sold in the U.S. as gjetost under the Ski Queen brand. $7 for 9 oz.; amazon.com

4. Yuzu Pao
Like most Americans, I have several bottles of hot sauce crammed into my refrigerator door. Lately I’ve been returning to Yuzu Pao. It combines two of-the-moment flavors, yuzu citrus and Sriracha chili sauce. The result is slightly sweet, with welcome floral notes from the yuzu and just the right amount of heat. I use it with abandon on eggs, rice dishes, and soups, as well as in marinades. $6 for 8 oz.; earthy.com

5. Canned Fish
If you’re used to eating canned tuna, the new four-star stuff will be a wake-up call for your palate. I stock tins of smoked wild mackerel, Portuguese sardines, and apple-smoked rainbow trout from Cole’s, which supports sustainable fishing practices. $6.50 each for 4.4-oz. tins; shoporganic.com